Guitarist magazine June 2021 Frank Zappa Ritchie Blackmore Deep Purple

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Frank Zappa was the most fiercely intelligent and creative musician in rock in the 70s and 80s. He was a superb guitarist himself but, first and foremost, he was a composer who demanded extraordinary feats of musicianship from the guitar players he worked with. As a major new biopic of Frank Zappa's extraordinary life and music hits the big screen, we talk to Zappa band alumni Steve Vai and Mike Keneally about the demanding life of a guitarist in Zappa's band and how he inspired them to achieve greatness on the fretboard. We also talk to director Alex Winter and Frank's son Ahmet about treasures unearthed from the Zappa vault during the making of the film. Elsewhere in this absorbing issue we take a look at the amp that started a cult of tone: an original, vintage Mark I Mesa/Boogie combo and test a raft of hot new Fender gear – from the iconic but affordable Chrissie Hynde Telecaster to the impressive new Acoustasonic Jazzmaster that blurs the line between electric and acoustic instruments. We also speak to progressive metal maven Marty Friedman and show you how to master the signature licks of Deep Purple legend Ritchie Blackmore.